Someone to switch houses?

[Sorting Hat]

One rumor, sort of the great grandfather of all unconfirmed rumors these days, is that someone will switch Houses. Do you think this will happen? IF it does, who do you think will switch and to where?


My own inclination is that it will not happen. If it does, however, the most logical switch would be Luna to Gryffindor.


Sorting Hat

[Alz]

That seems like an interesting one and the devil in me would say Harry Potter, afterall the Sorting Hat did have a terrible time working out where to put him.
In reality, well i'm not sure we have ever been presented with this in any of the books, I got to thinking that once you were 'housed' that was your lot.

But it is an interesting rumour ...
Seeing Luna go to Gryffindor wouldnt be nice for me, one of the things I love her that character is how openly intelligent she is but JKR choses to wrap her up in this 'credibility' image ... I think this is done for a reason to try and make her easy to discredit but indeed cannot to ignored.

That would represent a few raminfications if possible, does the hat suddenly wake and declare a mis-sorting, does a student ask for a second audience?
We know from the past that Harry has engaged the Hat post sorting and the hat shows no regret mentioning that Harry could have been a Slytherin as well as a Gryffindor ...

[Nagini]

That would be interesting. I haven't heard that rumour before. I wonder why there would be a need for a student to switch house though?

If the rumour was true and there was to a switch then it might be Hermione as the sorting hat considered putting her in Ravenclaw. Although the thought of Harry being put into Slytherin with Malfoy and his cronies and having Snape for a Head of House would be too much fun! :D

I think that perhaps this is something people have discussed and others have taken it to be a rumour though.

[Norbert]

Dumbledore tells Harry that he was put in Gryffindor because he himself wanted to be placed there. Your own decisions and desires carry more wheight than even your lineage when it comes to being sorted, so it would seem very possible that someone might switch houses. I imagine that to do so one would have to approach Dumbledore with the request to be re-assesed by the sorting hat. To me it seems very plausable. As young wizards and witches are growing up and becoming adults it is likely that a select one or two is going to change personality enough that they may want to be sorted again. I'm almost surprised we haven't seen it before.

Who it will be and where to and from is anyones guess though???

[Kingsley]

Well not to switch subjects that much but--if the HBP was in a different house, all knowing Dumbledore would not mind him being closer to Harry and that would add to the plot wouldn't it--I am not saying that I believe the rumor, I just think that it can happen and if it were to happen, it would be pivotal to the story, if it were to be Harry, I think it would have to happen in book 7 :cool:

[Tinkerbell]

Wow, never really occurred to me that this could happen!

However, having thought about it, I have always thought that Ron should be in Hufflepuf!!

Also have to agree about Luna coming over to be a Gryf tho - particularly after she fought side by side with Harry in the MoM.

[Kingsley]

Ron being a huff?
Ron is probably the bravest because he has no reason to be--he doesnt have any skill but will jump into any fight
Luna--her whole thing is non credited knowledge--
We got knowledge already in Gryffyndor--hermione on the other hand--does seem to be giving more intelligence than bravery these days--
i am still leaning towards the hbp switching to be a gryff

[Weasleyfanforever]

I am really liking the idea of Hermione being switched into Ravenclaw, because of her intelligence. It would seperate her from Ron and Harry, possibly causing a rift in the trio, because of house support and so on... Hmmm could be very interesting to see what happens here, but I am not sure that this will happen. It has never happened before, that we know of. Also, what if it were a switching of houses, as well as students? Such as moving one student into Gryffindor, as well as removing one and placing them in the other's house?

[Finnegan]

I have to say, I really hope this isn't true. I think it would be a rather cheap plot bunny, serving no decipherable purpose, other than causing confusion.

Also, it just wouldn't be practical. I mean - the houses are there as practical installations to make running the school easier, aren't they. They're not there to say something deep and true about 11-year-old children's identity. And as for the Sorting being based on a choice - isn't a big part of making a choice living with it afterwards? Otherwise, is it any choice at all?

[PrettyMS.Potter]

I agree with the idea of Hermione being switched to Ravenclaw. She is very smart and actually that occured to me once,why wasn't she placed there? Since Ravenclaw students seem to be the smarty pants in the school and she flaunts it like crazy.

[Madam Rosmerta]

I'm having trouble seeing how switching Houses would further the plot (and I'm wondering where this rumour comes from).

I hope we don't see more people joining Gryffindor, not that there's anything wrong with Gryffs, but they are overrepresented in the books. One thing I liked about OotP was the increased prominence of non-Gryff students like Luna. (Besides, why would anyone want to leave Ravenclaw?)

It might be interesting, though, if someone in DA joined Slytherin to try to bring more Slys in and promote unity among the Houses. Say if Ginny offered to switch over to try to win Slys for good--but what if she has a hidden vulnerability to evil influences after her possession by Tom Riddle?

[Norbert]

Mdme Rose - Ii think you may have something there with Ginny... but maybe it will be for a different reason, like Quidditch!

When Harry is allowed to play again, Gryffindor will have two seekers! Ginny may become a chaser (which is most likely what will happen, in my opinion) but, maybe she will look to become a member of another house due to the offer to become that house Quidditch teams seeker???

[Kingsley]

I dont think it would be for Quidditch as a good enough reason to switch houses--Draco, Cho and harry are all seekers right?they are all still in school

[Boing]

I am also having a hard time seeing where this would fit into the plot. There haven't been any mentionings of people being able to do this, but perhaps we might see it in one of the flashbacks. Maybe one of Harry's parents, or Snape, or the HBP (if he is older) switched houses for some reason that we will see become important to a plot line or subtext of some sort. I don't think it would be anyone currently in school if it is true.

[LovingHarryPotter]

I dont know if they would switch anyone. I dont see a reason to. Unless something happens in the school and it would be best not to have 2 people in the same house living together.

I really thought once u were sorted that was it no changes but JKR likes to surprise us.

[Tonks]

Say if Ginny offered to switch over to try to win Slys for good--but what if she has a hidden vulnerability to evil influences after her possession by Tom Riddle?
Wow! That is a bit twisted Madam Rosmerta, which is exactly why I like it! :D

I also am not sure how this would fit into the plotline, but agree that it would certainly be interesting. I wonder if it is a semi-common thing, and just has not been mentioned yet or happened during the 5 years Harry has been at school, or if this is the first time EVER it has occurred.

I would find it extremely interesting if Draco was switched into Gryffindor. Is there some good in him, er, very deep down? ;) (I actually find that really unlikely, but thats ok! :) )

I can't see either one of the three (Harry, Ron, & Hermione naturally) switching houses. It would be pretty weird, and probably have a huge effect on their friendship! :( (Although I suppose it could result from something that occurred between them- wow, interesting thoughts here now!)

Luna to Gryffindor is pretty plausible i suppose, but not sure if I can see that. She definitely is smart, and appears to be brave as well. So sure, why not? :D

[Norbert]

If we see this happen in book six it may not be in current time. I wonder if the switching of a student from one house to another only happened once in the history of Hogwarts. If this is the case - I'll bet that it was the Half-Blood Prince who was switched!

Maybe Harry will learn about this via Dumbledores pensive again???

[Alz]

If we see this happen in book six it may not be in current time. I wonder if the switching of a student from one house to another only happened once in the history of Hogwarts. If this is the case - I'll bet that it was the Half-Blood Prince who was switched!

Maybe Harry will learn about this via Dumbledores pensive again???

Ohhh, now that is very interesting!
I think we are due a few more pensive moments, is becoming quite the device for revealing the past!
How about Riddle?
What if he was a Gryffindor and switched to Slytherin post Hogwarts because he was the heir?
We know how much fun the Sorting Hat had looking into Harry, the close ties beween the two, what if the Hat was seeing Riddle again and that is where the inclination towards Slytherin was being pushed - and also to make amends for getting it wrong all those years ago?

[Minerva]

Its gotta be a rumor. People grow into their houses and support them. But i agree if its anyone, its luna. She's a weird girl and already hangs around with gryffindors maybe never wanted to be in her house.

[catchthesnitch]

Interesting.

Maybe Harry will decide to switch to Slytherin....NOT!

I don't buy this too much, it seems kind of useless, unless there's some real reason for it I don't think JKR will put it in.

There has been nothing insignificant about anything she's done so far. Everything, every tiny detail has meaning.

e.g., Scabbers' missing finger, seemed insignificant when the "vet" was checking him out, but look how important it became?

[Lily]

hmm.. this is an interesting theory - but I am not sure if it is possible to switch houses.. I am still unconvinced that you can do that. If so, how would it be achieved? Would the Sorting Hat have to be placed on the head again and it will re-read the psyche?

I agree that Herimone seems like she belongs in Ravenclaw because she is so smart, but she does have the brave attributes of someone in Gryffindor - wouldn't you say?

I have always wondered how Peter Pettigrew could've have possibly been sorted into Gryffindor, he doesn't have any of the brave attributes - all at.

So, I guess the Sorting Hat can be wrong sometimes..

[delta]

i actually heard that draco malfoy switches houses!

one of the rumours flying around is that because lucious malfoy is in azkaban dear little draco feels he can be himself and switches to griffinder - yeah right he's probably just tryig o spy on people.....

what if no-one switched houses but someone new come in? i don't know some youg witch whose parents tried to hide from dumbledore so they didn't have to go to hogwarts??? well it's worth a thought - isn't it?

[Weasleyfanforever]

I have always wondered how Peter Pettigrew could've have possibly been sorted into Gryffindor, he doesn't have any of the brave attributes - all at.

So, I guess the Sorting Hat can be wrong sometimes..

I don't think the sorting hat was neccessarily wrong in Peter's case. Yes, he betrayed his friends and willingly turned them over to the man that would murder them, but staying in their camp and acting like he was still on their side, all the while passing information to Voldemort had to take guts. He knew that they suspected that someone was passing information, and that he could have been discovered, and no doubt they would have killed him, or sent him to Azkaban. So I would say that, yes, he was brave, but being brave doesn't always mean that a person is right....

[ChienNoir]

So I would say that, yes, he was brave, but being brave doesn't always mean that a person is right....

Very good point! Just because a person has guts, it doesn't give them virtue. And, of course, people do change as they get older. Peter may well have become bitter and vindictive as an adult when his life and relationships didn't go exactly the way he wanted them to.

Peter was clearly an obsequious "suck up" kind of guy. It's possible may have feared Voldemort enough that he would rather ingratiate himself and join the "dark side" than stand up for what he feels may be the weaker, if more virtuous, position.


As for Malfoy, I can't see him switching houses. (Can people switch houses?)He's way too stuck in his "pureblood" mindset to be anything other than a Slytherin.

just one opinionated Blaque Dawg barking at the moon :)

[Boing]

I don't think that Draco will switch houses either. I think that his father being in Azkaban will make him even more vindictive and ruthless than before.

As for a new student - I guess that is possible. I mean an older student . . . perhaps students can transfer from one magical school to another. Maybe parents move or they just want to go somewhere new.

[Alz]

I think the only way Draco would swap houses was if it served an evil purpose - and I would have thought that the hat would have to be involved again - and would see the intentions of the person ...
Unless, as speculated, Draco has a change of heart and becomes all good - that would give him bravery to walk outside of his fathers shadow ... just a thought :)

[Boing]

JKR has said in an interview before (that I was just reading today) that she wrote down the parentage of all the kids in Harry's grade at school because she needed to know which had DE parents as the school will become factioned because of that . . . so, I don't think Draco is going anywhere for the moment. In fact, he might even get more aggressive in his exploits.